Feeding mechanism.



W. G. KIRCHHOFF.

FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1913.

Patented May 13, 1913.

Inuenfoc UNITED STATES PATENT onruon.

WILLIAM G. KIRCHHOFF, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THEODORE 1V.

REMMERS, 015 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FEEDING IIIECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13,1913.

Original application filed September 24, 1912, Serial No. 722,062. Divided and this application filed January 20, 1913. Serial No. 743,179. V

v To all whom it may concern:

.a certain new and useful Improvement in Feeding Mechanisms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part-of this specification, in which- Fi ire l is, an elevational'view of an embo iment of my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevational view partly in section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3, but showing some of the assembled parts in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a view of a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail showing the operative relationship of certain parts shown in Figs. 1, 2-and 3. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary illustration of one form of material which I my device may be designed to feed.

cal movements, and more specifically to a to feed is a strip of perforated sh mechanism for producing a reciprocating movement alternating in transverse directions. 2

As herein shown and described my invention is embodied in a mechanism designed specifically for the feeding of a strip of material of a particular form intermittently in one direction. When read in connection with my co-pending application above referred to it will be seen that the material which thisform of my invention is designed pp tags or a single one of such tags The principal object of my inventlon 1s to provide a mechanism which is operable from a rotary driving shaft or constantly rotatin prime mover, and which operates in a cyc e to intermittently engage and move the element to be acted upon in one direction a predetermined -'dista'nce, and then to disengage the said element and return to initial position.

Anothenobject of my invention is to pro- .llcelsuch amechanism wherein all of theparts are positively driven.

A further objectof my invention is to produce a mechanism for the purpose descriped which is simple, strong, and compac Other and further objects of myinvention will be hereinafter pointed out or will be obvious from an understanding of the device.

A suitable support 1 is provided with longitudinal slots 2 in which operate wrist pins 4: carried by a lifting rack bar 5, and by virtue of which the said lifting rack is supported upon the support 1, but is adapted to slide longitudinally thereon. The lifting rack 5 carries studs 6 which are adapted to operate in inclined slots 7 of a feeding bar 8 and to support said bar upon lifting rack 0. Also carried upon studs 6 is a holding ,rack bar 9 which is enabled to slide longitudinally relative to lifting rack 5 by virtue of slots 10 in which the pins 6 engage. Feeding bar 8 is provided with a transverse slot 11 in which operates a stud 12 carried by holding rack 9. Feeding bar 8 carries suitable engaging devices 1 1 which may be formed according to the purpose for which the mechanism is designed; those illustrated being in the form of pilots which are adapted to engage in theperforations of shipping tags so as to carry them with feeding bar 8 during certain movements of the latter. The

feeding bar also may be provided with suitable gear teeth 15 adapted to mesh with agear wheel 16 to transmit motion thereto.

The lifting rack 5 is provided with a left hand set ofgear teeth 17 and a right hand set of gear teeth 19. The holding rack 9 is provided with aleft hand set of gear teeth 16, a right hand set of gear teeth 18 and a medial lug 20. A driving shaft or prime mover 21 carries the gear 22, which, by virtue of a gear 2-1, drives the counter-shaft 25 in the direction opposite to the rotation of driving shaft 21. The driving shaft 2l carries the mutilated gear 28 which is adapted to cooperate with the right hand set of teeth 18 and medial lug 20 of holding rack 9. The driving shaft 21 also carries mutilated gear 29 which is adapted to cooperate with the right hand set of teeth 19 of lifting rack 5. Countershaft 25 carries mutilated gear 26 which is adapted to cotiperate 25 also carries mutilated gear 27 which is adapted to cooperate with the left hand set of teeth 17 of lifting rack 5;

portions 26" and 28 which are adapted to cooperate withholding rack 9 at certain times in the rotation of shafts 21 and 25.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows. Atv the beginning of the cycle of operation the wrist pins 4 are in the left hand ends of slots 2. In this position the feeding bar 8 stands at its lowest position relative to'the support 1 with the studs 6 inthe, left i hand ends of the inclined slots .7. With the lifting bar 5' in this'position the teeth of mutilated gear 29 have just passed out of mesh with'the teeth 19 of lifting rack 5, and the cam member 28 will be in engagement with the holdingrack 9 to prevent longitudinal movement of the holding rack 9 and the feeding bar 8. Rotation of shaft21 will cause gear 27 to come into mesh with teeth l7, and as this gear is revolving in a clockwise direction lifting rack 5 w ll be moved to the right. As holding rack 9 and feeding bar 8 by virtue'of their engaging members 11 and 12 are held a ainst longitudinal movement by cam mem er 28?" during this movement of lifting rack '5, the travel toward the right of lifting rack 5 causes studs 6 to ride down in slots 7 and lift feeding bar 8. Feeding bar 8 lifts vertically until studs 6 reach the right extremities of slots 7 7, whereupon feeding bar .8 is moved to the gagement of gear 29 with teeth 19. This initial leftward movement of lifting rack 5 will lower feedin bar 8 by virtue of the movement of stu s 6 in slots 7. When feeding bar has been lowered the teeth of gear 28 willengage the teeth 18. of .holding rack 9- and transmit feeding bar 8 leftwardly in the lowered position until it reaches its left hand limit of travel, thus completing. the

cycle- From this description it will be seen that feeding bar 8 is'moved to the right in termined distance, whereupon feeding bar tion of a. pairof actuat its elevated position relative to support 1' v and to the left in its loweredposition. This effects the feedin operation of the strip of tags, which may e supported as illustrated in Fig. 3 with the perforations in position to be engaged'by the pilots 14; asfeedi'ng bar 8 is transmitted leftwardly below the strip, raised until the-pilots engage the perforationsinthe strip, and then transmitted to the right carrying the strip with it the prede- Mutilated gears 26 and 28 have specially formed camis lowered, thus disengaging the strip. Upon each succeeding cycle the strip will be fed' an equal distance.

Whereas have shown my invention embodied in amechanism designed for one specific purpose, it is obvious thatit is not limited to a mechanism for feeding shipping tags, but that by suitable modifications it is ada ted to be applied in any instance where an lntermitt'entfeed in a single direction is required. I therefore do not int-end that my invention shall be construed as limited to the specific form illustrated and described.

What I claim is: I -1. A feeding mechanism comprisin in combination cotiperating rack bars, a eeding bar cooperating therewith, and means for moving the rack bars longitudinally to cause a longitudinal and tnansverse recipro'cation of said feeding bar.

2. A feeding mechanism comprising in combination a lifting rack, a holding rack,

a feeding bar adapted to be actuated by said racks, means for moving said racks longitudinally, means for mov ng said feedingbar transversely as one of said racks moves longitudinally thereof, and means for moving said feeding bar longitudinally with the longitudinal movement of'the other rack.

3. A. feeding mechanism comprising in combination alifting' rack, a holding rack, a feeding bar operated by said racks, means for reciprocating said racks simultaneously, and means for holding one of said racks against longitudinal movement during a portion of the movement of the other rack.

4:. A feeding mechanism comprising in 1' combination a lifting rack, a holding rack,

a feeding bar actuated by said racks, gears for moving said racks in one direction, gears for moving said racks'in the opposite direction, certain of said gears being provided with means for holding one of said racks against movement during a portion of the movement of the other rack.

engaging the material to be fed, movable I 5. In a feeding mechanism in 'combination, a feeding bar provided with means for rack bars having slot and pin connections with said feeding bar whereby said feeding bar may be moved indifferent directions by longitudinal movements of said rack bars,

and'means for moving said rack bars to cause longitudinal and transverse movements ofsaid feedingbar.

6. In azfeeding' mechanism, the combination of ia support, a rack bar-mounted on said support, a feeding bar mounted on said rack bar, a second rack'bar mounted on. said rack bar; said rack bars having slotand pin connections with said feeding bar, and means for actuating said rack barsctogmove said feeding bar in different directions,

7. In afeeding mechanism theco'nibi'nziing shafts, pinions' ism cayried by said shafts, rack bars movable by signature in the Bresence of two Witnesses, sald mions, a feeding bar movable by said this 30th day of ecember, 1912.

rack ars said feedin bar being adapted to be recipl ocated longitudinally and trans- WVILLIAM KIRCHHOFF' ls-versely by longitudinal movements of said W1tnesses:

rack bars. M. P. SMITH,

In-testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my C. S. BU'rr- 

